"I know that if we give this a little time
It'll only bring us closer
To the love we wanna find. "

- Lady Antebellum

Jacqueline always had the ability to turn heads wherever she went, even if it was the DA's office. Swiftly moving through the corridor, she read names as se passed by the cheap plastic doors. She was only looking for one name amongst these, Lewis Hosley.

True to her words, Jacqueline had dug her nails deep into past to bewreak the insult she had faced. She wanted to find the truth.
The truth about Alec's marriage, the truth she had sensed in his apartment, the truth about Beth's apartment on eleventh street, the truth behind this masquerading act of being love. Beth's past had hidden so many lies that truth was way harder for her to find and to her surprise everything was leading to Georgia, the place where Melissa had died.

H O S L E Y she saw written on the translucent door with black paint. She was about to knock when a young lady behind her stopped her. "Yes, can I help you?" she asked.

"I wanted to meet Mr. Hosley." Jacqueline announced.

"Madam he was working on something important and had asked me to not let anyone in at the moment. If you can wait-"

"I have an appointment with him. It's rather urgent." She said with an air of authority. Even though she was no one from the office, Jacqueline could see she had intimidated the lady. Her annoyed expression and the constant tapping of her feet emphasised on the urgency of the matter. Of course it was urgent. Jacqueline knew, the only one who can dig out past is Hosley. He had the power and she had the money and they both only wanted the truth.

Sitting in her five by five cubicle, when the office lady looked at her again, she slowly said, "I will just confirm with him. Please wait." She picked up the phone to make the call.

Two minutes later, Hosley came out. "Ms. Jacqueline, I have been waiting to meet you. Let's get to work, shall we?" He ushered her in his cabin. "Oh and Linda, two cups of coffee please and make sure no one disturbs us." And the door closed.

•

Only half an hour was left before Alec and Beth had to leave and Beth had still not reached back home. She had left four hours back when she had been called to treat an emergency case. It was almost six thirty and she wasn't even picking up the calls. Alec paced around the room.
In the back of his mind, there was a doubt, what if she won't come back on time? For all he know, she may be lying to him and delaying intentionally. He knew she didn't want to go. She had only agreed on coming to the party so that they can prove everyone they are in love and their marriage isn't fake.

After waiting for another fifteen minutes, he heard the door open. Throwing her purse without even seeing, it landed on Alec's face. "I will be out in ten minutes." She said and went inside the room. Soon he heard the shower switch on and he relaxed on the couch.

A little while later, Beth came out. "Let's go? Sorry I got late at the hospital. And it took me a little while to figure out how to wear this gown." She apologized. When Alec looked at her, the woman he saw wasn't his wife. He was sure of it.

In his living room stood a woman dressed in a beautiful peach gown that was hugging her curves. It spread slowly just below her knees and flowed into a beautiful small trail. "Is this okay?" She twirled and the boat neck of her dress disappeared into graceful folds that fell against her bare back. She looked taller than usual with her heels and was probably just over his height. "Alec? Is this okay or not?" She asked him again. But he couldn't find words to answer her question. She wasn't looking okay. Not even close to that, she was looking beautiful. She was looking sensuous. He didn't even know his wife owned such clothes. Her dress shirts were all he had seen. And now she stood in this peach gown looking nothing less than a model from one of the fashion magazine.

But then he realised, there was one thing missing. "There is just something missing, if I may?"

"Yeah? Well, what is it?" She kept looking at her dress.

"Wait, just wait." He ran in his room. There was a drawer in his closet which had the missing element. He quickly handed it too her. "This." He was sure it will work.

"What is this?" Beth looked at the small velvet box and opened it. "Oh... Dear lord." The reflection of the solitaires shined her eyes. "I can't. They must be-"

"Yes, they are Melissa's. And they would look great with the dress."

"But-"

"Don't think too much. Just wear them. Please."

•

It had been a long time since Beth had been to a black tie event. Clad in a fancy gown and Melissa's earrings, she felt out of place amongst the gathering of the night.

The media, the guests, everyone's attention seemed to be at Alec's new wife. She wasn't used to so much attention. In fact she hated attention. Now she had to meet all these people whom she had either only heard of or seen on television.

Most of the people were CEO's of different companies and socialites from the strata of life where she only hoped to reach someday. She was a little intimidated. Sure, she was a doctor, had a good pay, good enough to let her indulge in life, but these all were billionaires. The rich class whom she only treated in her hospital.

Sure, they all treated her with respect, but they also constantly compared her to Melissa. Their body language, their tone, they didn't need to point out that they wanted to test her, she knew the moment she had entered, they were only and only trying to picture her as Melissa's replacement. And she wasn't her replacement.

No, she wasn't. She had realised long time back how different Melissa and she were as people. Melissa belonged here, not she.

"Hey, you alright?" Alec asked her. "You look tired."

"Yeah, a little. I guess it was that emergency surgery that is taking a toll on me." She lied.

"Let's sit down then. We have already met almost everyone." He looked at her one more time. "Are you sure it is only the surgery?" He spoke those words as if he almost knew what she was feeling. She wasn't sure what to answer at first but eventually succumbed to the truth.

"I guess it's the crowd too." She said taking a seat. They had been given the front row seat as Alec was guest of honour for the night. "I have to admit, they are a little-"

"Challenging?" He offered a smile. He knew what it felt like.

"Yeah. I am just being constantly compared with Melissa and I can never be her. She probably could handle all this well but I am not that kind of person. I am more of the-"

"Hey," He held her hand, "You are doing great. Let them compare you with Melissa, sooner or later they will realise how different you two are. Melissa used to think this only. The first time she came to such a party with me, even she was scared. Before her, I had a relationship with one of the models. It was a long relationship and all these people used to adore her. So, of course when we broke up and I got together with Mels, everyone compared her, like they are doing now. That night she did the one thing I had learnt the hard way. Wear your attitude with grace. She always said, 'in parties like these, everyone is a vulture, ready to eat up alive. So the key is to always wear that attitude and fake the confidence. Even if you feel like you will die here, show them how it is done gracefully. They will all fall to your feet.'" He chuckled. "I don't know how she figured it out but she was right. I had learnt this long time after I came in this business. It took her only one party to do it. I know its a little hard, especially for people like us. So just keep doing what you are and you will see, they will accept you. Just don't let them smell your fear."

Beth smiled gratefully. She had a sip of her wine and relaxed a bit. Fortunately programme started and no one came to meet the new wife.

The MC started with a brief introduction about Alec's company and how he came into this line of business. How first he was only a small investor and now one of the biggest entrepreneurs in the country. Beth had severely underestimated her husband.
Her partner was apparently one of the most successful business owners. His company had become twice its original worth in matter of just seven years and today it was costing for almost close to ten billion dollars. She knew he was a successful man, but the fact that he was the youngest here and yet had accomplished more than anyone in the room did shock her.

He was called on the stage to accept the award and give a small speech when the MC finished.

"Good evening everyone," He greeted everyone. "It is a little overwhelming to be standing here in front of you all and accept this award. Thank you for such a wonderful evening." He paused and locked his with Beth's. He smiled and began. "Almost three years back, I had lost the woman I had loved the most in my life. You all knew her well, Melissa, and she had gone from my life. I had never felt more lonelier then than I had before."

Beth didn't have a good feeling about this. She continued to listen but something bitter was beginning to brew inside her. She knew this would get uncomfortable, but she had to just sit and hear.

"Back then I was about to sell this company away because the amount of work I had put in it, Melissa had put in twice more. We had been going good before I knew Melissa, but things had taken a better turn after she came in my life. So you can imagine, a part of Melissa is in this company. That was the only reason that stopped me from selling it. But it wasn't enough for me to keep going with the same intensity and soon we began losing our shares and our credibility. Those were tough times.

"But then I met Beth. My beautiful Beth. She didn't even realise it nor did I until a few weeks ago how my life had begun to change because of her. She showed me that loneliness can go away when you have the right person with you. She is my right person."
His eyes still remained locked with her's and she could swear, it was getting harder for her to breathe.

"I used to be an ambitious man with an even more ambitious wife. I had an aim and I strived towards it with my wife. After her, I became an empty vessels that crashed waves and only tried to stay afloat. And with Beth, I am finally seeing that aim again and I am glad that I have someone to go there with.

"So thank you Beth, for showing me the silver linings again and for being the reason for me to stand here. Thank you darling." With his last words, there was a huge round of applause and it wasn't just for him but for her as well. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and slowly stood up. This was way more than what she had bargained for.

He came down the stage and kissed her on the cheek.
"That was some speech." She said softly.

She smiled for the cameras and pretended to be the love sick girl. But something told her that Alec wasn't anymore. She didn't understand what exactly he was feeling but it was definitely more than pretending to be happy. He was genuinely happy and she had doubt if it was because of the award or the applause.

When they finally took their seat and programme resumed, he whispered to her. " It was all true, you know. "

She looked his sincere eyes. He looked straight into her's and her's didn't waver.

They didn't know each other for so long, barely for seven or eight months but there was something in his eyes and she felt it inside her too.

This man, the man who was probably still in love with his dead wife, this man who had only married her to win an inheritance case, who had only known her properly for months, had just dedicated his award to her.
And he wasn't faking it.

She was scared. He must been too. It was surely more scary than she had anticipated it to be but it was becoming inevitable.

It was becoming inevitable for them to fall for for each other and now they were falling faster than they had expected.

****
Here it is! And look what is happening! All sorts of things. On one hand we have Jacqueline and the counsellor and on other hand, we have Alec and Beth, finally seeing what everyone had too. And doesn't Lady antebellum fit perfectly here? Well they fit perfectly everywhere.

So what do you think about this chapter or the ones coming up? Do you think it is fats or slow or perfect? And also was the song apt or not? Put everything down in the comments. Any typos, please do let me know.
Good news for you all, another chapter is coming up. Yes, I managed to write two chapters together.

As always, please vote if you enjoyed and share with your friends.

New chapter will be out in few hours or maximum by tomorrow.

And a big thank you to all you people who all loved the previous chapters and have been supporting this story. I hope it is meeting your expectations.

Love you all.

Cheerio.
Until next time,
Alice. :*

****